ditional funeral service at Lotz Funeral Home, featuring Casablanca lilies, white roses, and eucalyptus greenery. We can incorporate a personal keepsake into the design upon request.”
Build occasion-specific content, not just categories. Most florists’ websites are already orga- nized by occasion, which aligns well with how customers query AI. But Ludwig cautions that simply placing a product in a “birthday” category isn’t enough. Product pages need to explicitly say what a bouquet is good for. Example: “Sunny mixed bouquet with gerbera dai- sies, roses, and statice. A cheerful pick for birthdays, get-well wishes, or a ‘just because’ surprise.”
Add details your website may be missing. A simple frequently asked questions page is helpful, but generic answers aren’t. “Including specifics about exactly where and when you deliver can help AI surface one florist over another,” Ludwig says. Example: “We deliver to Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce, including Indian River Community College and Lawnwood Hospital, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.”
Include dedicated content that names your style. A general “about us” page tells AI less than one that specifically describes an aesthetic. “If you’re trying to be in a certain box, make sure that your online presence shows that,” Rice says. She built her site around being “bespoke” and “eclectic,” and made sure her About page, service descriptions, and reviews consistently echoed those same words and their synonyms. They’re not just keyword dumps; she worked them into the text in ways that felt natural. Example: “Explore our portfolio to see how Pink Poppy Designs transforms venues with our eclectic and bespoke floral arrangements.”
Prioritize detailed, specific reviews over volume. “Reviews are highly favored by AI engines, as authentic experiences with your business are one of the core inputs used to inform its recommendations,”
Ludwig says. Encourage customers to post reviews across different plat- forms, not just Google. Think Yelp, WeddingWire, The Knot and social media. And don’t just ask for a five- star rating; ask for context. Example: “Ordered a birthday bouquet for my mom last minute. They delivered it to her office in Ypsilanti in under three hours. The colorful tulips made her whole day and lasted all week!”
Keep information accurate and consistent everywhere. AI looks for consistency before mak- ing recommendations. If your Google Business Profile, Facebook page and website all provide different delivery areas or hours of operation, the AI will assign a low-confidence rating for your shop’s ability to deliver to a customer on a certain date and usually won’t recom- mend the business.
Ask AI how your business is doing. Rice recommends florists simply ask an AI model what it knows about their shop and which florist it considers the best in their area. (Even better: Ask multiple models.) Then ask directly how to improve your shop’s ranking and vis- ibility. “Ask it how to get you where you want to go,” she says.
Top Takeaways
The journey starts earlier. AI can narrow a shopper’s choices before they ever visit a florist’s website.
SEO still matters. A strong digital foundation remains valuable, but florists must add the context AI needs to make recommendations.
Evidence beats claims. Explain what your business does best and support it with detailed content and customer reviews.
Specificity improves visibility. Clearly describe your delivery area, design style, occasions served and individual arrangements.
Human expertise wins loyalty. AI may influence discovery, but creativity, empathy and personal service turn recommendations into repeat business.
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 33
Remain a Trusted Expert Even as AI reshapes discovery, florists have something no chatbot can replace: a physical product, delivered by hand, that meets a real, often emotional, need. “No matter how much AI may influ-
ence search engine usage, the internet as a whole, consumer behavior … your customers still need a tangible, physical product delivered,” says Cordell Crowley, Flower Shop Network’s Google service manager. “AI can’t replace that [in the way that it can] replace core parts of many other industries.” That human layer matters at all stages
of the florist-customer relationship in ways that are unique to the floral industry. Nor can it replace the human qual-
ities behind that product. “No matter how intelligent machines become, they cannot replace empathy, ethics, intuition or inspiration,” Gottlieb says. As AI takes over more of the early
research and comparison work, florists can differentiate themselves through creativity, emotional intelligence and genuine customer relationships, Gottlieb adds. Those who deliver on the trust AI has extended on their behalf will be best positioned to turn recommendations into repeat business.
Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
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